We started our family business, Western Workshop, formally, in 2002. After over 25 years of experience building furniture on a part time basis, especially rustic and log furniture, we decided to make the transition to a full time business. We love our work and we think it shows in the quality of our fine products. We won't sell something unless we are 100% happy with it. And we're tough to satisfy.
Our business and shop are currently located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We're only a short drive from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where we gather most of the wood and other materials for our projects. We use mainly dead standing trees, driftwood and mill discards for our log furniture and accessories; pine, spruce, aspen, cedar and even diamond willow. Most of these trees were either killed by the notorious pine beetle, by fire, or have been cleared and piled by logging companies or utility companies as unusable wood. Basically, we make use of beautiful wood that would otherwise go to waste.
Above: Mt.Robson, ... one of our regular pit stops.
We use an old-world, hands-on approach to make all of our furniture and AllQi products; from cutting and gathering the wood to the final finishing and delivery. Nothing is pieced out to other shops. We put the same attention to detail into each of our pieces as that which you would expect to find in other high quality furniture by master craftsmen. No shortcuts here.
Above:An example of our work, an entry storage bench, 6' H x 4' L, with mirror and plenty of hooks for coats, hats and purses ... sells for about $1100 USD ($1250 CAD). We made this one as a gift for some very special friends.
Look for Quality
You need to know what to look for in log furniture just like any other product which you wish to purchase. Remember, what you can't see is just as important as what you can see. You need to know about the quality of the joinery used, the hardware, the finish, the inner construction in casework, etc.
If you run your hand along the rail of a log headboard and get splinters, don't accept that as just being "rustic" ... it's unfinished and unsafe. If the chairs or tables wobble, don't believe that it's just the character of the piece ... it's poorly made. If a table top is cracked ... run for the hills and hide your wallet, 'cause the wood is moving and so should you be! Look for and expect quality in log furniture like you would in any other piece of fine furniture. Don't waste your cash on trash!
We build one piece of furniture at a time and dedicate our full attention to it until it is finished with quality and pride. In this way we may be limited to the quantity of furniture we can build each year, but each piece is built to the highest standards and you can be assured of that with our lifetime guarantee against defects due to poor workmanship. When you buy from Western Workshop you can buy with confidence. We build our pieces to last for generations. After all, you're investing in tomorrow's antiques today.
